The Hawaiian green sea turtle, otherwise known as the honu, may be removed off the threatened species list, petitioned by the Association Hawaiian Civic Club to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This is a serious petition, as removing an animal off the threatened species list could result in irrevocable changes to the species existence forever. The Conservation Council for Hawaii is closely monitoring this petition, as “threats to honu still exist and may actually increase over the next few decades with sea level rise, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, increased intensity of storms, and invasive species” –ETN Global Travel Industry News.

Due to this petition, the green sea turtle’s threatened status is now under review. Federal officials will conduct a worldwide assessment to determine whether Hawaii’s green sea turtles should be classified differently than the rest of the world’s green sea turtles. If the review turns up that they should not be separately classified, than chances are they will be removed from the threatened species list. NOAA made this “global status review” public on Wednesday, August 1st. Stay updated on the review at staradvertiser.com.